Charleston Gardens Charleston Gardens (September 02, 2005)

A quiet, well-located enclave

by Patricia Bass

The five streets that compose Charleston Gardens near Cubberley Community Center can feel like a step back in time. The Eichler and ranch-style houses remain from 50 years ago, when returning war veterans and their new families doubled the population of Palo Alto in a decade.

Even the wide streets and the abundance of oak trees that are replanted to replace each dying tree, keep the spirit of the '50s alive. When you're walking down Montrose and you see three kids on bicycles and a woman walking her dog, it's hard not to expect Beaver Cleaver to come running by with a slingshot in hand.

Families and professionals alike are drawn to Charleston Gardens for the isolated feel it has from the busy streets of Charleston and Middlefield that are right around the corner.

"We love the location of our neighborhood, and its proximity to Highway 101, the Mitchell Park Library, Charleston Plaza and Mountain View," resident Judy Lee-Squire said. "But it's also a distinct neighborhood."

According to Lee-Squire, the isolation of the neighborhood is mostly because three of the five streets that form the area create a triangle that surrounds the other two. This layout, plus the barriers that prevent drivers from cutting through to get to Charleston Plaza, make the neighborhood traffic-free and kid-friendly.

Lee-Squire and her husband bought their current home in Charleston Gardens 21 years ago because it was in between where they both worked.

"Over the time we've lived here, only some of the houses have changed," she said. "The neighborhood began as Eichlers and ranchers, and even though some of the ranchers people have remodeled, they still keep the character of the houses."

The main difference in the remodeled houses and the original houses built in the '50s and '60s is that there have been additional stories added to some. Otherwise, the style of house remains the same.

Ranch houses -- described by Palo Alto historic librarian Steve Staiger as one-story houses built in a "Western" style created in the 1930s -- reached their pinnacle of popularity in the '50s and '60s with the growth of suburbs.

The homes built en masse by Joseph Eichler were popular in the post-war era because of their affordability and comfort. The mild California weather is perfect for the one-story homes that were the first houses to try to meld the outdoors and indoors seamlessly. Eichler eventually built more than 2,700 houses in Palo Alto alone.

Eichlers are still prized in the area for their relative affordability, which is yet another reason residents choose Charleston Gardens as their home.

"People are moving here now because it is one of the few economical places to live in this city," Charleston Gardens homeowner Jean Wilcox said. "Plus, it is very accessible to schools like Fairmeadow, Hoover and the Challenger private school."

Since Charleston Gardens is where many young veterans settled down, it was also where most of the children in Palo Alto lived, Staiger noted. In the hey-day of the baby boom, seven of the current elementary schools opened, as well as Cubberley, which was a high school across the street from Charleston Gardens. Now Cubberley is a community center, and Charleston Gardens sports more of a mix of retired couples and single professionals, but families still appreciate the location.

Neighbors keep each other updated on local issues and events with an e-mail tree. Lately, it has been used to inform residents of Palo Alto Neighborhood Disaster Activities (PANDA) meetings and when to put out their old garbage cans. They are also planning a block party.

The only problem facing residents of the quiet neighborhood of Charleston Gardens is the possibility of losing their isolation from the rest of the world.

"We worry that the city will mess around with Charleston [Road], and that might affect us by getting more traffic," Lee-Squire said. "They have thought about a roundabout, but that would take away the barrier."

Despite worries, life in Charleston Gardens continues much as it always has. For all we know, 50 years from now Charleston Gardens will still look as much like post-war America as it does right now.

Charleston Gardens facts
@facthead:CHILDCARE AND PRESCHOOLS (NEARBY):
@fact:Children's Pre-School Center, 4000 Middlefield Road, T1; Good Neighbor Montessori, 4000 Middlefield Road, Bldg. K-4; Young Fives and Pre-school Family, 4120 Middlefield Road; Ta'Enna Preschool (JCC), 4000 Middlefield Road
@facthead:FIRE STATION:
@fact:No. 4, 3600 Middlefield Road
@facthead:LIBRARY:
@fact:Mitchell Park branch, 3700 Middlefield Road
@facthead:PARK:
@fact:Mitchell Park, 600 East Meadow Drive
@facthead:POST OFFICE:
@fact:Main, 2085 E. Bayshore Road
@facthead:PRIVATE SCHOOLS:
@fact:Challenger School, 3880 Middlefield Road; Palo Alto Prep School, 4000 Middlefield Road
@facthead:PUBLIC SCHOOLS:
@fact:Fairmeadow Elementary School, Hoover Elementary School, J.L. Stanford Middle School, Gunn High School
@facthead:SHOPPING:
@fact:Charleston Center

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